Many types of campers are known for mounting on a vehicle and, in particular, for mounting on a pickup truck bed. Many of such campers are rigid structures that extend upwardly from the sidewalls of the truck bed and form a rigid enclosed area above the bed of the truck. This type of camper is typically heavy, bulky and aerodynamically inefficient, thereby causing significant increased fuel consumption of the vehicle.
To overcome the deficiencies of a rigid truck camper, collapsible truck campers have been developed. In general, such collapsible campers usually include a rigid top for covering the truck bed when the camper is collapsed and for being moved to a raised position to form a portion of the camper structure.
Conventional campers of the collapsible and expandable type are normally heavy, bulky and difficult to manipulate. In those campers employing rigid tops, it is often difficult to raise and lower the rigid top and its support mechanisms. Also, most campers of this type are secured directly to the truck, with the truck and camper forming an integral structural element. Such campers are not easily removed from the truck, in whole or in part.
Thus, a need has arisen for a lightweight collapsible camper that may be shipped as a single unit and may be easily mounted as a unit on a pickup truck. Also, a need has arisen for a camper in which portions of the camper, such as the beds, may be removed entirely from both the camper and the pickup truck during extended periods of nonuse of the camper. Furthermore, a need has arisen for an improved camper frame structure that is easily raised and lowered to enhance the assembly of the camper.